Kudun and Partners is the first law firm to win the Thailand Law Firm of the Year award at The Legal 500’s inaugural Southeast Asia Awards 2020/2021, ahead of an impressive list of eight nominated firms.
It is the first time in the Legal 500’s 33-year history that a single firm in each jurisdiction has been accorded such significant recognition for exceeding expectations and raising standards over the past 24 months. For the Law Firms of the Year award category, Legal 500 took a holistic look at the key players in each Southeast Asian jurisdiction, focusing on their individual practices, star individuals, recent performance, and overall growth to crown the overall best firm in each country.
Apart from the oustanding recognition as the Law Firm of the Year – Thailand, Kudun and Partners was also shortlisted as Litigation Team of the Year, Rising Law Firm of the Year, and the only law firm in Thailand shortlisted for Corporate and M&A Team of the Year.
The Legal 500 has been analyzing the capabilities of law firms around the world for 33 years, with a comprehensive research program that is revised and updated every year to provide the most up-to-date vision of the global legal market. The research for the Southeast Asia awards is based on feedback from 100,000 clients, submissions from law firms and interviews with leading private practice and in-house lawyers, as well as a team of researchers with unrivaled experience.
Being recognized as the first and only law firm in Thailand to win the Law Firm of the Year award in Legal 500’s 30 plus year history is a dream come true. On behalf of our 12 partners and over 45 associates, we are honored to be selected ahead of an impressive list of nominated firms,” said Kudun Sukhumananda, Founding Partner of the firm. “This recognition is a validation of our hard work and perseverance across all of our practice groups. I am confident it will inspire us to continue to outperform for our clients in many years to come. Kap Khun Krab!”
Troy Schooneman, head of the international practice of the firm added, “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Legal 500 research team for recognizing us as Thailand Law Firm of the Year. The past two years have been unprecedented, intense and incredibly challenging for everyone – so I am especially proud that, together with the help of our amazing team of lawyers and support staff, we have not only faced these challenges head-on but have been recognized by the Legal 500 team as Thailand’s Number 1 law firm.
We are humbled and pleased to accept this award and are thankful to all of our clients for their trust in us, and to our esteemed industry peers for their support and encouragement and for constantly inspiring us to work harder and to improve ourselves for the benefit of our clients. Thank you very much.”
“Thanks to Legal 500 for this amazing award and our clients for trusting us,” said Mayuree Sapsutthiporn, partner and head of the Chinese Practice of the firm.
The past year has seen the firm joining the leading global network, World Services Group, as the exclusive member representing Thailand in order to strengthen its global support for clients, expand its international network and accelerate foreign investments into Thailand. Kudun and Partners’ determination to shift the paradigm of providing traditional legal services to offering business-minded legal solutions and its strategic investment in its people, processes and technology, as well as its partnership and collaboration with strategic alliances, have led to the firm’s robust performance, earning the firm a number of high-profile accolades in the last two years, including inclusion among Asia’s Fastest 30 Growing Firms by Asian Legal Business, 2021, Thailand’s Most Responsive Domestic Law Firm of the Year – Honorable Mention by In-House Community Firms of the Year, 2019 and 2021, Visionary Law Firm of the Year – Newcomer by In-House Community Counsel, 2020, Rising Stars Law Firm by Asia Business Law Journal, 2020, the recent CSR recognition at the annual AMCHAM CSR Excellence Awards, 2021 by The American Chamber of Commerce, Thailand, as well as the listing of four of the firm’s partners; Kudun Sukhumananda, Chinawat Assavapokee, Troy Schooneman and Mayuree Sapsutthiporn as Thailand’s Top 100 Lawyers, 2021.